Recovery
by Sleeping Insomniac
Summary: The class couple, Kiku and Arthur, have split. Yao finally has the chance to act on his secret crush, and Alfred's determined to show his best friend that they deserve a relationship upgrade. High school AU; England/China, America/Japan, Iceland/HK
1. Chapter 1

"It's about time!" Alfred said when Kiku told him that he and Arthur were breaking up. "You can totally do better!"

Kiku's cheeks only turned slightly pink, but Alfred knew that any unusual coloring at all was monumental for him. Kiku crossed his arms uncomfortably.

"Alfred, it is not as if Arthur and I had a terrible fight and hate each other now," he said. "We are still friends. We just feel that our relationship is better platonic."

"Yeah, okay," Alfred said. "Friends with the ex - totally awkward, dude! You'll so regret it! I guess you can't really avoid him when you're both on the student council, though."

Inwardly, Alfred flinched at the sudden defensive tone he'd taken, but he kept grinning. It was too soon. Arthur had been Kiku's first and only boyfriend in all the years Alfred had known him, and they'd just broken up. Even though Alfred was a firm believer that the best way to get over an old boyfriend was to get a new one, Kiku wouldn't agree. It would have been sad if it weren't so cute how oblivious he was.

"Hey, if you want, come over and hang out after school!" he said. "We can, like, watch a rom-com and dig into a gallon of ice cream!"

"Why would we do that?" Kiku seemed genuinely confused.

_Because you hurt._

"Because you just broke up, dude! That's what you do - you watch crappy-yet-nostalgic flicks and pig out!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, dude, totally! It's the mourning period! So, we'll hang out together!"

"Mourning period...?"

"After school, okay? We'll grab some ice cream on the way home - you pick!"

"I do not know if..."

"Kiku!" Alfred said. "We're doing it, okay? You just broke up with your boyfriend, which means that it's my duty as your best friend in the universe to cheer you up with so-bad-they're-good movies, all the ice cream you can eat, and anything else you want! You name it, it's yours!"

Kiku seemed startled by the outburst; he really had no idea how this whole break-up thing went. Alfred almost expected to be rejected, but Kiku finally uncrossed his arms and smiled.

"Al..." he said. Alfred smiled; he knew that Kiku was caving when he used his nickname. "I am okay, really...but thank you. Okay. We'll get ice cream after school."

This was perfect. They were going to spend the day together, getting ice cream and watching movies. Alfred was going to be totally supportive and caring, and Kiku was going to realize that the best friend in the universe deserved a promotion to best boyfriend in the universe.

Alfred had figured it out a long time ago. He understood, of course. Sometimes, it was hard to see that the right person was standing right in front of you the whole time.

With that thought, something occurred to him.

"Does-" he started.

"Does what?"

"Nothing," Alfred said automatically, knowing that there was no tactful way to say what he was thinking. "Just...does Yao know?"

"Does Yao know...that Arthur and I broke up?" Kiku asked. Alfred nodded. "No, you are the only person I've told. Unless Arthur mentioned it, Yao would not know...and they are not that close, are they?"

"I guess not."

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason!"

Except yes reason. Alfred wasn't the only person who had his heart set on this break-up, after all.

* * *

><p>"Hey, are you okay, aru?" Yao Wang asked. Arthur Kirkland turned his head. It was late in the afternoon, and most students had gone home; they were the only two waiting at the bus stop.<p>

"I heard that you and Kiku split up, aru." Yao paused, then crossed and uncrossed his arms, not knowing what the appropriate posture would be for this conversation. Arthur looked away.

"That's right. I'm fine, though - we just decided to go back to being friends, you know? It wasn't much different when we were together."

"Wasn't it?"

Arthur slipped his hands out of his pockets. "Are _you_okay?" he asked. "You seem a lot more hung up on this than I am."

"I'm fine," Yao said quickly. "Why wouldn't I be, aru?" In all honesty, Yao wasn't sure how he felt. When he'd heard from Alfred over lunch that Kiku and Arthur had split up, he'd been partially sympathetic for Kiku and partially, well, _thrilled_.

Yao didn't officially meet Arthur until Kiku introduced them at a student government fund-raising event, but, after all the gossip he'd heard, he was shocked when Arthur smiled and thanked him for helping with the volunteer work. Abrasive and self-absorbed as he might have seemed in the hallways, Arthur was devoted to his duties as class president, and Yao couldn't fault him that. He even admired him for it - among other things. Arthur's eyes were very green.

Seeing Kiku growing up and having his first boyfriend had been tough enough on its own, but the fact that it was Arthur magnified every ache. For weeks, Yao had thought to himself, _I am a terrible friend. Kiku is like my brother. I am a terrible brother._It was a haunting mantra.

Finding out that Arthur and Kiku were splitting up was the best news Yao had heard in a while - and he instantly hated himself for it. At a time when he should be most sympathetic for Kiku, he was just excited to know that Arthur was single again. Then the worry set in; Arthur and Kiku had seemed so happy as a couple, but they split like it was nothing. What went wrong?

Afraid that his expression was too obvious, he turned away from Arthur. "I just wanted to be sure that you were all right," he said. "Break-ups can be hard, aru."

"Break-ups happen for a reason, though," Arthur said. "Sometimes it just means that something better is going to come along."

Yao could feel his heart pounding. What did Arthur mean by _that_, exactly? Was he looking to be in another relationship? Was he the one who broke up with Kiku? Maybe he was fickle. Maybe he was unfaithful. Yao sneaked a glance at Arthur beside him and was partly embarrassed and partly excited to see that he was looking back, still smiling crookedly.

"Don't you think?" Arthur asked softly, and, though Yao had forgotten what exactly he was agreeing to, he nodded.

* * *

><p>"Isn't it going to be kind of awkward helping to decorate the gym for this dance?" Alfred asked, shoving the ice cream into Kiku's hands to stop him from trying to pay.<p>

"It is part of my job as the secretary of the student council," Kiku said. "Besides, as I told you before, Arthur and I are on very good terms. We just decided that our relationship had not changed from when we were friends."

"Didn't it?" The question was out of Alfred's mouth before he could stop it, and Kiku gave him a curious look. "It...it seemed different."

"How so? Ah, thank you for the ice cream, by the way."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, dude, like I said, I'm here for you." Alfred shoved his hands in his pockets as they left the grocery store and headed back to the dorms. Kiku stayed quiet, looking at him and apparently waiting for him to continue. "You just...seemed very into each other."

"Did we?" Kiku asked, genuinely surprised.

"Well, you were always together," Alfred said, removing his hands from his pockets and taking the grocery bags from Kiku.

"I do not mind-"

"I know you don't." Alfred smiled at Kiku, hoping to reassure him. Kiku put his hands down and faced forward.

"I'm sorry that you felt awkward, Al. I did not mean for that."

Alfred turned to face Kiku quickly, already shaking his head. "You didn't, Kiku, I-! I didn't mean it like that! Okay! Besides, it's not a big deal!" He laughed boisterously. "You know how awesome I am at handling awkward situations! No-o-o problem, dude!"

Kiku laughed softly, and Alfred kept grinning to hide the sigh of relief he wanted to heave.

* * *

><p><em>"Would you mind helping me out again?"<em>

Yao had been at the bus stop with Arthur even though Yao himself lived in the dorms, and they'd been talking. They didn't interact much during classes - as schedules would have it, they only shared one period - but Arthur still knew who he was.

"You helped out with a fundraiser," he'd said. "I remember that. Good thing you were there, too, otherwise it was just the council. Speaking of which..." Arthur's smile had been sheepish. "I know that this is terribly forward of me, but would you mind helping me out again?"

Arthur explained that the student council was throwing a dance in some attempt to raise morale, but he needn't have said a word beyond what he'd already asked. He didn't ask Yao to help their class, or to help the almost-ambiguous "us" that could have meant the student council but really meant Arthur and Kiku. He had asked Yao to help _him_.

Yao had agreed instantly, and Arthur's lips had quirked upward, but when Yao asked what had inspired the smile, he wouldn't say.

"Just appreciate your help," he'd said. It was a cover-up - there was something more, Yao could see, in the sparkle in Arthur's green eyes - but not a lie.

Yao wondered to himself when he'd become so soft. As the bell rang to signal the end of his history lecture, Yao leaped from his seat and grabbed his books in one fluid motion, racing for the door. His fourth period class, English, was the one he shared with Arthur.

Arthur and Kiku had always sat next to one another in that class, even before they were dating. Arthur said that they had mutually agreed that their relationship had changed little when they decided to date, but surely it would still be awkward for them to sit next to one another in class. The whole school was buzzing with gossip about their split, however amicable. Arthur would know how to handle himself in the face of rumors, though, Yao thought. As class president, it was one of his greatest strengths.

For a fleeting moment, Yao wondered how Kiku was managing.

With the English lab being only down the hall from his previous class, Yao was the first to arrive. Other students trickled in from the noisy hallway. Kiku walked in and sat in his usual spot at the table in front of Yao. Arthur would be along any minute to sit next to him, and Yao would end up next to Alfred, who was always late to class.

Arthur walked into the room, and, though the pre-class chatting by no means stopped, it quieted. Yao turned in his seat to notice students looking curiously at the former couple at the front. He looked back to Arthur, who kept his shoulders squared and walked up to Kiku's desk as if nothing had changed. Standing opposite Kiku, he smiled.

"Morning, Kiku," he said, tone relaxed. Kiku looked up and smiled back.

"Good morning, Arthur."

They really were on amicable terms. The classroom chatter regained some of its volume. Just as Arthur was about to round the table to take his usual seat, though, Alfred burst through the door, cut him off, and slid into the seat beside Kiku.

"Whew! Made it! Ha!" Alfred laughed, pumping his fist. Arthur reeled backwards. Kiku also seemed startled, though he was smiling. "Told you I could be on time to class, huh, Kiku? You owe me a Coke, dude!"

"I suppose I do," Kiku chuckled, reaching into his bag for a pen. Alfred laughed again and stretched his arms out over the table as Yao had seen him do a thousand times before. This time, though, Yao's attention was elsewhere.

Arthur's calm expression had faltered for only a second. Most students had turned away, disinterested, upon realizing that there would be no dramatic encounter, but Yao hadn't missed that spark of hurt in his eyes as Kiku welcomed someone else sitting beside him.

The whispers died down; Arthur and Kiku had attracted the other students' attention once again. Sensing this, Arthur kept his smile and walked past Alfred, stopping at the open seat right behind it - the one beside Yao. Without a speck of hesitation, Arthur sat and began pulling his books out of his bag.

In front of them, Alfred was speaking animatedly to Kiku, but Yao couldn't be distracted from the boy beside him. Arthur pushed back his blond bangs as he rooted through his bag and pulled out a pen. The classroom chatter began to pick up again to fill the void left by the lack of gossip fodder. When the talking had risen to a normal level, Arthur put his books on top of the table and scooted his chair closer to Yao's.

Leaning over, he smiled at Yao and whispered, "I hope you don't mind that I just sat down without asking."

"I don't mind," Yao said, with a calmness that impressed himself. Arthur's eyes flickered to the table, scanning Yao's books.

"Advanced Calculus?" he asked suddenly, leaning even closer to look at the textbook on top of Yao's pile.

"Yes," Yao said, figuring that a response was expected. Arthur looked up at him.

"You must be really good at math," he said. Normally, Yao was the type to deny all praise, even insisting the opposite and insulting himself, but he had Arthur's attention and could maybe even glean admiration from it.

"I'm great at math, aru," he said, raising his eyebrows. Arthur's little smile stretched out across his face slowly, and Yao felt his heartbeat quicken. "I just like numbers, to be honest, aru. They make sense to me. Other classes - English, for example - well, there are lots of right answers, there are lots of different methods for making a point, aru. It's confusing. I much prefer when there is one correct answer that I can get to by following a formula, aru."

"You like things straightforward, then," Arthur said, leaning back in his seat a little bit.

"I suppose I do, aru," Yao said. Arthur nodded absently, and Yao wondered if he considered this to be a good quality. To keep the conversation going, he asked, "You must be pretty good at math, too, though, right? You _are_the class president, after all."

"I'm not too shabby," Arthur said, a glimmer in his eye. "English is my best class, though."

* * *

><p>"I really think it's a great movie, dude!" Alfred said, weaving his way through the busy hallway, making sure not to get too far ahead of Kiku, who tended to get swept away in the crowd. "You know, the girl's all dating the wrong guy, and then they break up and she realizes that her best friend was the right one the whole time! It's awesome!"<p>

"I agree that it is a lovely movie, Alfred, and I am glad that we watched it last night, but..." Kiku sped up to stay behind his friend. "Why did you sit next to me in class today?"

"What're you talking about, dude? You said that you didn't think I could get to class on time, and I totally did, and it was awesome! Now you owe me a Coke!"

"Yes, but why did you sit next to me?" Kiku pressed as they made their way to the cafeteria for lunch. "You usually sit beside Yao."

"Only 'cause the seat next to you is always taken!" Alfred laughed, hoping that he didn't sound too uneasy. "You snooze, you lose, right?"

Kiku was quiet for a while after that, and Alfred had to look behind himself to make sure that his friend was still there. Looking up at him, Kiku gave him a little smile. "You do not have to worry about me so much, Al. I would have been fine sitting next to Arthur."

Alfred hesitated, then grabbed two trays at the back of the cafeteria and handed one to Kiku, getting into line.

"I just thought that you might feel awkward, dude. I don't want people saying things about you behind your back!"

"They are doing that anyway," Kiku said matter-of-factly. Alfred's fingers slipped on the container of french fries he was reaching for. "Ah...frankly, Alfred, I am not sure that you helped the situation."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Kiku indicated a few girls passing by who were giving Kiku and Alfred an amused look. The girls skirted off, giggling, and Kiku turned back to his friend.

"I think some people may think that I am using you to get back at Arthur."

"Whaaaat? Totally re-donk-ulous, man!" Alfred crowed, though his heart sank at Kiku's troubled expression. Sobering, he added, "I'm...just trying to be a good friend. Stop making it so difficult."

Kiku started. "I apologize," he said. "I know that you are trying to be a good friend, Al. You _are_a good friend. I just...do not want to cause Arthur any more trouble than I already have."

Alfred couldn't think of a thing to say to that.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for your help. Again," Arthur said with a grunt, leaning back to look up at his handiwork.<p>

"I don't mind, aru." Yao ripped off another piece of tape and put up his poster across the hall from where Arthur had put his.

"I'm going to kill Francis. Lazy _ass _doesn't do anything, and he's on the council!" Arthur raked a hand through his hair, and Yao laughed. When Arthur turned around, he had a little smile on his face, but his expression quickly changed when he saw Yao's poster. "Hey, that's amazing!" he said.

"You think?" Yao turned his back to Arthur to admire his own artwork. During lunch, Arthur had run up to him asking for help with posters and fliers for the dance. In his hurry to help, Yao hadn't done his best work on the art for the posters, but Arthur was impressed. "I like yours, too, aru."

"Tch," Arthur said, crossing his arms and giving Yao a sideways look. "I'm a pretty good artist, sure, but don't placate me." Yao felt his face burn at the rebuke.

"I won't, then," he answered sharply, and Arthur's expression flickered with uncertainty.

"...I wasn't trying to..." Halfway through his apology, Arthur faltered and turned away. Yao wondered at the abrupt shift from annoyed to apologetic. He had no idea that Arthur was so indecisive.

At that moment, a few girls from Yao's history class walked out of the bathroom, presumably on their way to the cafeteria. Glancing at Arthur, they shared smiles, but it wasn't until they'd reached the end of the hallway and turned to the stairwell that Yao heard their hushed voices and giggles.

"Yao? You're...you're Kiku's roommate, aren't you?" Arthur asked, his back turned to Yao. It was a pointless question; Arthur had come to their dorm room many times after school to discuss the council with Kiku or to do homework. Yao felt his face flush; was this the reason Arthur had wanted him specifically to help?

"Yes, aru."

"Is it..." Arthur ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. "I-I mean - I know that hallway rumors are almost always baseless, and they're really quite stupid, but s-sometimes there's a grain of truth to them. Right?" Yao blinked, keeping up with Arthur's quickening speech as best he could. "I- I heard that Kiku was with Alfred. Dating him, that is."

Arthur's voice was so small. Yao could feel a hurt building in his chest at how much the idea of Kiku being with someone else bothered Arthur; their split wasn't so final after all, then.

"No," Yao said slowly. "As far as I know, that isn't true. Wouldn't Alfred be telling everyone he knew if it were, aru?"

When Arthur turned back to face him, he was smiling. "You're probably right. Thanks, Yao." Yao nodded, not feeling particularly happy about being able to help. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask - you end your sentences with 'aru' a lot..."

Yao felt his face burning. "Do I, aru?" he asked, feeling even stupider when the verbal tic slipped out. Arthur chuckled and turned back to the posters they'd left on the hallway's floors.

"Cute," he mumbled, and Yao felt his heart begin to pound once again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Penny for your thoughts, dude," Alfred said, holding his video game controller in one hand while the other was buried in the bag of chips nestled between them. Kiku kept both hands on his controller, but Alfred's character still passed his car on the turn.

"What do you mean?"

"Every game we've played today, I've whipped you. Something's wrong," Alfred said, pausing the game and cramming a fistful of chips in his mouth. Kiku hesitated.

"I am...fine. Nothing is wrong."

"Kiku, come on. I know you better than that." Alfred put his controller down on the coffee table and turned to face his friend on the couch.

Kiku set down his controller next to Alfred's and folded his hands in his lap. "We ended our relationship so quietly, so peacefully," he said. "Since then, it has been nothing but rumors and uproar. Why is it that people cannot just leave us alone?"

Alfred's heart ached at Kiku's soft words. He looked so fragile right now, so small.

"Some of our classmates have been asking me about Yao, as well," Kiku continued. "I have been asked if Arthur was cheating on me with him or if I were dumped for him. I do not understand. Arthur and Yao barely know one another."

Alfred had heard the rumors, too. Hell, he'd helped to spread them. If Yao wanted to go after Arthur, good for him. They'd been hanging out more recently. Maybe Arthur was even moving on. Even better.

Kiku turned to face him then, and his curious expression gave Alfred a pang of guilt. "Come to think of it, when I first told you that Arthur and I broke up, you asked about Yao." His brown eyes flickered. "Why did you ask me about him?"

Alfred's mouth opened, but the words wouldn't come. With Kiku looking at him like that, what could he say? How could he make this better?

"Well..." he started. Kiku leaned closer. "I, uh, kind of...got the vibe that Yao might've been kind of into Arthur." Kiku's eyebrows shot to his hairline, his lips parting in surprise. Arthur reached into the bag of chips for a distraction. "Maybe other people got the same idea?"

"What made you think that?" Kiku asked, touching Alfred's wrist as he drew his hand from the chips. Alfred looked down at his smaller hand. "Did Yao say something to you?"

"What? No, dude, like I said, it was just a vibe. I mean, he's _your _roommate. Didn't you ever notice the way he looks at Arthur?"

Kiku looked like he'd just been slapped, and his hand fell away from Alfred's wrist. Crap. Alfred hadn't meant to say it like that. Kiku turned away again, refolding his hands in his lap. Alfred noticed how his fingers pressed into his skin harder than before.

"Did Arthur cheat on me?" he asked, his voice composed as ever. Alfred's fingers went limp over the chip bag, dropping the chips back inside.

"What? No, man, you know he didn't!"

"Did he leave me for Yao?"

Alfred hastily swiped his hand against his jeans to wipe off the grease from the chips before grabbing Kiku's hands and swinging him around to face him. "No," Alfred said.

It would have been the easiest thing in the world to say _yes_. Yes, Arthur cheated on you, now move on to someone who never would, like me. Alfred still couldn't do it. He and Arthur had their differences, but they were friends. More importantly, Alfred would never be the one to put that look on Kiku's face.

Kiku carefully disentangled his and Alfred's fingers and turned back to the television. He picked up his game controller. "You are such a good friend to me, Alfred," he said with a little smile.

"A good friend...I-I'm glad," Alfred lied.

* * *

><p>"Arthur!" Yao ran the last few yards to the bus stop, arriving in front of the other boy just as he turned around.<p>

"Yao." Arthur shifted his school bag from one hand to the other. "What is it?"

"You're alone today, aru," Yao said. "I-I thought you might need help for your errands."

"Help...?" Arthur gave him a blank look.

"You and Kiku always went shopping together on Thursdays," Yao said. "I remember, because he'd come home late, aru." Recognition struck Arthur's face, and he nodded. "Since you broke up, Kiku comes home at the regular time, but I thought you would need help."

"Why?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows. His green eyes were still unsure.

"Well, it took two people to run your errands before, so it must be hard for one person now, aru."

Arthur stared at him a moment longer, then burst into laughter. Yao felt his face heat up.

"Wh-what are you laughing for, aru?"

"You really are straightforward, aren't you?" Arthur's grin was devilish, and Yao faltered. "I went shopping with Kiku because I enjoyed his company, not because I needed help."

Yao looked away hastily; of course. He had known that. It had been stupid of him to come. He had just been looking for more time to spend alone with Arthur. _Time that used to be Kiku's_, a voice in his head would say.

"...You know, I could use some help today, though."

Yao looked back at Arthur. His green eyes still flickered with some amusement, but his expression was otherwise serious.

"I have a few more errands to run than usual today. I'm not just saying this because you came all the way out here, I mean."

"You're so chatty," Yao said as the bus pulled up to the stop. "You could've just said the first part."

"W-Well! I wanted to be absolutely clear!" Arthur said, face flushing. Yao couldn't help laughing at his flustered expression.

"Very well, then, aru! I shall help you."

Arthur nodded. "Huh. 'I shall.'"

"What of it, aru?" China pulled out a few coins - his meticulously saved money - for the bus fare.

"Nothing. It's just, I've become so used to hearing improper grammar - 'I will.' It's nice to hear someone using 'shall' as he should." Arthur brushed back his bangs and smiled, taking out his wallet. "Listen, you're doing me a favor by helping me with my errands. Let me pay your bus fare."

"Fine, aru," Yao said, putting his money in his pocket. Arthur stumbled on the steps up to the bus.

"You gave in so quickly..."

* * *

><p>"So, would it be, like, the worst thing ever if Arthur and Yao hooked up?" Alfred asked, dragging his fry through a glob of ketchup. Kiku looked around quickly to make sure nobody was listening, but the cafeteria for once didn't have its eyes on their table.<p>

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well, it seemed to bother you the other day," Alfred said, taking a long slurp of soda.

"I was just afraid that the rumors about them were true and that I would be the last to know," Kiku said, taking a careful bite of rice. "I suppose I was more upset that you might have known something and did not tell me."

"I-I didn't," Alfred said quickly, and Kiku nodded.

"I know that."

"If I did know something, I'd tell you right away, day or night!"

"I believe you." Kiku's little smile faded. "Why are you asking about Yao again, Al? We broke up. Arthur is free to date whomever he wants."

"You say that, but I still can't believe that you're totally cool with this split."

"I am." Kiku smiled and pushed his dessert across the table towards Alfred, who took it eagerly. It was a routine of theirs. "We were not in love anyway. Arthur was never my whole world. The idea of Arthur with someone else does not make me jealous."

"Why would you be jealous?" Alfred said, taking a huge bite of Kiku's cupcake. "You're not the clingy, obnoxious type."

"Jealousy sometimes comes from a lack of trust, but not always, Al. It can be a natural response to wanting to keep something for oneself. It is..." Kiku thought for a moment, tapping his chin with his chopsticks. "The most pardonable selfishness."

Alfred paused, the last bite of cupcake frozen in front of his mouth. "Dude, that's, like, poetic. You should totally write a song!"

"I-I do not think that is true, Alfred...!"

* * *

><p>Arthur did not go back to sitting beside Kiku after that English class. For nearly three weeks now, he would sit next to Yao, even though Alfred had gone back to getting to the classroom late. Before class started, Arthur and Yao would talk. Somehow, it always started off being about the weather, but then it would move to classes and social lives.<p>

Arthur's sense of humor was dry, and he was embarrassed about it at first - "Th-that was a joke, I'm not serious!" - but Yao quickly learned when he was kidding from the way his mouth would quirk up at the corners. Once, he laughed at something Arthur said, and the appreciative smile he got in return nearly made him melt. Arthur's green eyes could be so warm.

Of course, at that laughter, Kiku had turned around in his seat to look at them in that perplexing way of his. Always serious, always analytical. Something different flickered in his eyes, only for a moment, but Yao noticed. His laughter died in his throat.

Kiku flushed and turned around, and Alfred burst through the door. When Yao glanced over at Arthur, Arthur was turning his head back from Kiku to him. So he had noticed, too. Yao could tell - something in Arthur's awkward posture - that he had seen a fleeting glimmer of hurt on Kiku's face.

A week or so later, their English teacher was out sick, and their substitute was no match for Gilbert's raucous behavior; the classroom burst into gossip and fooling around within minutes. In front of them, Alfred was telling Kiku some wild story, and Kiku was smiling at his gestures and laughter.

Yao sighed and closed his notebook, giving the substitute a sympathetic glance. She had long since closed the teacher's plan book and was sitting with a tired expression at the desk.

Beside him, Arthur looked over. As always, Yao's textbooks from his previous and next classes were stacked neatly in the corner of his desk, and Arthur's eyes lingered on the Advanced Calculus book. When his green eyes looked up and he realized Yao was watching him, he leaned back in his seat and turned away.

"Why were you looking at my book?" Yao asked. Arthur chuckled.

"You don't let anything go," he said with a crooked smile. "Just thinking about pre-calculus, I guess."

"Which class are you in? The advanced one, right, aru?" Yao and Kiku were taking the advanced class of the next grade up, but Yao had no doubt that Arthur was at the top of their own grade's math class.

"That's right." Arthur reached into his bag and pulled out a pre-calculus text book, waving it back and forth with a glum expression.

"You don't like it much, aru?"

"It's not that, just..." Arthur's face was unreadable. "I have a problem."

"You're having trouble with math?" Yao's eyebrows raised.

"A problem," Arthur repeated. Yao's heart pounded at his pointed expression.

"I'm-" He stopped to compose himself. "I'm excellent at math, aru," he said. "I can help you with any problem you have."

A grin spread across Arthur's face, and Yao had to look away to keep himself from blushing. Even though they'd been talking more since the breakup, he was still so easily charmed. It was annoying.

"Why don't we go to the library after classes today?" Yao suggested. "It's Friday, so no one will be around. It'll be quiet. Perfect for studying."

"All right, that works for me." Arthur put his books into his bag and turned back to Yao. Propping his head up on his hand, he asked, "So, the weather has been nice lately, hasn't it?"

The bell rang all too quickly, but Yao only had to sit through two more classes before the end of the day came. Not wanting to seem too eager, he walked at his usual speed to the library. He had to hide his smile when he saw that Arthur was already there waiting for him.

"I had class on this floor," Arthur said as soon as Yao came up to him, "so it didn't take that long to get here."

"You talk too much," Yao said. He was beginning to notice that Arthur only said such pointless things when he was embarrassed. Yao wondered if it were a good thing that Arthur got embarrassed so easily when they talked.

"Let's go to one of the tables in the back," Arthur said, pointing once they were inside the library. "No one will be there."

Quiet locations were the best for studying, Yao agreed, and he willed himself not to get hopeful about the fact that Arthur wanted to be alone with him. It wasn't like that; it was academic.

The library was deserted. Even for a Friday, its emptiness was unheard of. Yao couldn't complain; he followed Arthur to the very back corner of the library where he could actually see the dust on the old tomes. These shelves were clearly never used. There was a small table and chairs set up there, and Yao took a seat.

Arthur sat right next to him.

Yao hadn't been expecting that; he'd assumed Arthur would sit across from him so that they could talk face-to-face. With his warmth and his green eyes only inches away, this was going to be much more challenging.

"So, you said that you were having a problem with math, aru."

"A big problem," Arthur said, scooting his seat in closer to the table - and towards Yao. He probably had no idea what he was even doing. Yao looked for a distraction.

"What chapter are you working on?" he blurted out. Arthur looked at him for a minute, and Yao held out his hand. "Let me see your book, aru."

"We're on chapter seven," Arthur said, obediently handing over the book. Yao thumbed through the pages until he found it, then laid the book out on the desk in front of them.

"All right, let's look at some of the practice problems and see what your trouble is, aru." Yao ran his finger down the page but froze when he felt Arthur's fingertips brush against his cheek. He turned, startled to face him, and Arthur drew back.

"Your hair was coming out of its ponytail," he said, flustered, and Yao wasn't surprised when the next thing out of his mouth was, "I just didn't want it in your face, that's all. It's distracting! F-for you. Not that I-"

"Stop talking, Arthur. You're so noisy, aru." Moments like this made it easier not to worry that Arthur was so close their legs were practically touching. Arthur's expression was difficult to place - somewhere between frustration and disappointment. Fixing his hair, Yao turned back to the book. "Let's take number three, aru. We're looking at logarithms, so-"

"It's x cubed plus five," Arthur said. Yao faltered.

"Wha- You're right, aru." Yao blinked. He knew the answer just by looking at it, but how on earth would Arthur be able to do that if he were having a problem? "Did you do these problems in class?"

"No."

"Then...why don't we try another one?" Yao turned the page, and Arthur shifted his seat closer again, leaning over. Yao could feel the warmth of his breath on his neck and clenched his fists to suppress a shiver. "Number twelve. If log x is 2.7 and log y is-"

"Negative one."

Yao couldn't help his startled gasp. Arthur had whispered the answer right into his ear. Before Yao could say a word, he felt Arthur's lips press against his jaw, just below his ear.

Yao jerked away. "Y-You said you had a problem with math," he squeaked. Arthur's eyebrows raised.

"I do have a problem," he said. "You see, I'm quite good at pre-calc. Quite excellent, if we're being honest. My problem is," - he rested his chin on his hand and smiled at Yao - "this is the subject where I really want a tutor."

Yao could feel his face burning. Was this actually happening? No. He was hallucinating, He was going to blink, and when he opened his eyes, Arthur would be staring at him for spacing out when he was supposed to be helping him with math.

Arthur continued to smile at him - that same crooked grin that he had no idea how to interpret. Yao swallowed. "What do you mean?"

"You're awfully thick, you know," Arthur said, pushing away from the table and half-standing, hovering over Yao. He put his hands on the armrests of Yao's chair and leaned closer. "When I said I had a problem, I meant getting you alone. When you offered to tutor me, it was a perfect excuse."

Arthur's grin was so smug, so self-satisfied, that Yao should have wanted to belt him, but he couldn't think of what to say. Even if he could have, his words would have been swallowed up; in the next minute, Arthur's mouth was pressed against his.

His first kiss. With Arthur. With anyone. _With Arthur._They were kissing. They were kissing. Theywerekissing.

Kiku's face flashed across Yao's mind.

He pulled away, scooting his chair back in the process, and Arthur nearly tumbled onto him. With a wounded expression, Arthur stood up straight and stepped back.

"I thought you were interested in me," he said, looking away. "That's why I did it. I thought-"

"Shut up, Arthur!" Yao was ashamed at how high-pitched his voice was. "Y-You kissed me, aru. You kissed me!"

Arthur shushed him, and Yao clapped a hand over his mouth. He'd forgotten that, though the library was nearly empty, it wasn't entirely. Someone could overhear.

"I just thought that you were into me, I guess," Arthur said, his face red. He wouldn't look at Yao. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Pretty stupid doesn't begin to describe it, aru! Y-You can't just tell me that you want to be alone with me and k-kiss me. Y-You didn't even give me time to react, aru. I..." Yao's face burned, but the expression on Arthur's face strengthened his resolve. "I _am_ interested in you."

Arthur perked up at that, meeting Yao's eyes. He opened his mouth, but Yao cut him off.

"I don't think you're very interested in me, though, aru." Yao crossed his arms. "I think you're using me to get back at Kiku."

"I'm not," Arthur said.

"Prove it, aru."

"How do you suggest I prove that?"

"So you can't prove it?"

Arthur sighed in frustration, falling back into his chair and giving Yao a heavy look. "So, I was right. You _are_ interested in me." A hint of smugness was returning to his voice, and Yao scoffed. "You just don't want to get hurt."

That got Yao's attention. He shot Arthur a nervous look.

Arthur only smiled. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Yao. I really do like you."

"Just not that way," Yao said. "You were sneaky about it, aru. You asked for my help in a subject Kiku also takes, and you did it in class where he could hear you." All smugness disappeared from Arthur's face, and Yao felt a pang in his chest. "You're the worst, aru!"

With that, he grabbed his bag and stormed past Arthur.

"Yao, wait," Arthur hissed, stumbling up from his chair and grabbing Yao's elbow. Yao turned to glare at him, but Arthur tugged him back behind the bookshelves where the library's few other students couldn't see. "You're right, I'm a jerk," he said, all in one breath. It took Yao a moment to realize that Arthur had conceded to him. "I'm honestly not trying to hurt you."

"I know. You didn't even think about my feelings, aru."

"Of course I did! I thought that you would be happy if we were together. I told you, I thought that you were interested in me..."

"How selfish, aru!" Yao couldn't deny that he would have been happy - if Arthur had meant it. "If you really want to be in a relationship, you have to prove that it's me you're interested in - not Kiku."

"I'm not..." Arthur faltered and ran a hand through his messy hair. "You're right."

"Of course I am, aru."

Arthur started to smile when other voices started coming closer. Yao turned around.

"Who would be coming to these dusty bookshelves back here?" he asked, and Arthur grabbed his wrist and pulled him around the corner, diving into an aisle of shelves diagonal from where they had been sitting. Their bags thumped against the floor, and Arthur murmured a curse before putting a hand over Yao's mouth.

A boy and a girl Yao didn't recognize slipped into the aisle they'd just been in, the girl giggling, the boy looking behind him. They walked further into the aisle, past where Yao could see, but he was able to catch a glimpse of the two kissing as they fell out of sight.

"Wh-what...?" he gasped as Arthur took his hand off of his mouth.

"Sorry, didn't want to get caught there, you know," Arthur said with a blush. "Since we're not together. That backfired on me."

"What are you talking about, aru?"

"Th-the back bookshelves," Arthur said, pointing behind himself. "They're a popular spot for, ah, couples on campus. That's why I-"

"You're the absolute _worst_!" Yao hissed, giving Arthur a sound slap across the face. "What did you bring me back here for?"

"Shh!" Arthur's eyes glimmered with tears from the slap, but he blinked them back. "J-Just kissing, I promise!" Without a shred of shame, Arthur's green eyes dropped to Yao's waist and traveled back up to his flustered expression. "Not that I'd be opposed to-"

"Do you _want_ to get slapped again, aru? Pervert!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Alfred, p-please hold the ladder steady..."

"I am, dude, don't worry!" Alfred flashed Kiku a huge grin. "If you fall, I'll totally be your hero and catch you! Like Superman!"

"D-Do not let me fall!" Kiku gripped the ladder more tightly, feeling it sway with Alfred's laughter. He trusted Alfred, true enough, and he knew that he'd catch him if he fell, but...

The usual suspects had shown up to help set up for the dance. Hopefully Francis's idea of throwing a spirit dance would help raise funds for the council - and morale, of course. Kiku held out the decoration as carefully as he could, one hand still glued to the ladder, and pressed it to the gym wall, right under the basketball hoop. A big, pink heart. Arthur had already begun muttering his regrets about letting Feliks buy the decorations, but as a council member, at least he was contributing.

From the top of the ladder, Kiku could see the few who'd shown up to help. Feliks and Toris were stringing together twinkle lights, Feliks chattering away while Toris only smiled. Francis...well, he was there. Cheering everyone else on as they worked. Feliciano was also cheering everyone else on - Kiku and Ludwig had decided right away not to give any important projects to him - and Ludwig was moving tables and chairs single-handed. Kiku's eyes drifted to the other side of the gym.

Arthur and Yao were having much better luck putting up their decorations; the other wall was covered in sparkles and pink. Arthur held his ladder carefully while Yao put up decorations. They made a good team - when they weren't arguing. Yao squawked something down at Arthur, who responded with equal annoyance, and Yao slid down the ladder in one fluid motion, making Arthur yelp again. They bickered constantly.

Kiku's eyes lingered on Arthur's face a moment longer before he carefully climbed down the ladder. Alfred pumped his fist in the air.

"Okay, Kiku, this is it! We can't let those guys beat us! We'll decorate this wall so well, it'll make their wall look like crap!"

"Alfred, calm down." Kiku put his fingertips over Alfred's mouth to quiet him. As soon as he did that, Alfred shut up, his blue eyes staring incredulously back at Kiku. Flustered, Kiku dropped his hands and turned to their pile of decorations. "We should keep going. People will be arriving in an hour."

"This'll be fun, won't it?" Alfred asked, picking up the ladder with one hand and hoisting it up onto his shoulder. As he followed Kiku to the other side of the basketball hoop, Feliks and Toris yelped, ducking underneath the ladder as it bobbed by. "Save a dance for me, Kiku!"

"I do not dance," Kiku said, stopping and looking up at the wall. "I only go to support the council."

"Aww, dude, don't be such a party pooper! You sound totally lame right now! I'm going to make you dance with me!"

Kiku sighed and waited for Alfred to lean the ladder against the wall. When he went to put his hands on it, Alfred grabbed his wrists and grinned at him.

"I mean it, Kiku. You're not getting away without a dance!" His eyes were bright behind his glasses, and Kiku blushed. What was this, all of a sudden?

"We can discuss it later," he said, trying to wriggle out of Alfred's grasp. No such luck.

"Or we can discuss it now," Alfred said, resting his chin on Kiku's shoulder and looking up at him. Kiku groaned mentally; those puppy dog eyes. Alfred had them down to an art. "Why won't you dance with me?"

"I am not a good dancer," Kiku said, "so I do not like to do it."

"Nobody cares if you can dance or not, dude. Gilbert's totally going to be jamming out there, and he's going to look like a total lame-o-zord, and nobody'll pay him any attention."

"That is because it is Gilbert."

"Yeah, well, I bet Yao'll dance with Arthur."

Kiku froze at that. "What are you talking about?"

Alfred's expression was guilty for a moment. "Look, I told you that if I knew anything, I'd tell you right away, right? Well, the rumors are back. Seems like Arthur and Yao might really be hooking up. Some girl in my science class said she saw them hanging out in the back of the library."

"What does it matter if someone saw them doing homework together?"

Alfred looked at him over his glasses. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am fine," Kiku said, turning back to the ladder. "We should finish putting up decorations."

Alfred backed off and held the ladder steady as Kiku climbed.

* * *

><p>It occurred to Arthur that he had never seen Yao out of his school uniform. Even when he had been dating Kiku, they'd never been in his dorm room on a weekend. He'd only ever seen Yao in his dress pants, shirt, and sweater.<p>

Yet here he was, leaning against the gym wall, in casual wear. One of those high-necked Asian shirts, like you'd find in a tourist-y shop, but much nicer. It had to be real. Loose pants, flat shoes. The DJ's lights swung over the wall, and it was like Yao had a halo of pink sparkles. Arthur's distaste for Feliks's decorations faded at the sight.

When Yao caught sight of him, he tilted his head upward in greeting. Jeez, Arthur couldn't help thinking; he'd even gotten the guy to confess to being interested in him, and he still couldn't be cutely affectionate. Not that they were exactly dating. Yet.

"How is it so far?" Arthur called over the music. Yao grinned and pointed out onto the dance floor in response. When Arthur turned, he saw Alfred swinging a very distressed Kiku around to the music. Alfred laughed and twirled Kiku into himself, and Kiku looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock. Arthur snorted.

"They get along, huh?" Yao toyed with his ponytail.

"Yeah," Arthur said, leaning against the wall next to him. Yao glanced over. "That was part of the reason why-" Arthur cut off and glanced around. There were other people crowding around them now, and he had to yell to be heard over the DJ. Leaning close, he spoke more quietly, right against Yao's ear. "That's part of the reason why we broke up. I don't know if Kiku realizes it or not, but Alfred really cares about him. Really cares about him." He said it twice for emphasis and could tell from Yao's widening eyes that he understood.

"That's why you wanted to break up, aru?"

"Partly." Arthur shrugged. "There weren't really sparks or anything with Kiku. We were just friends."

"Then why did you date in the first place, aru?"

"It was expected." Arthur answered without thinking about it, and Yao turned his whole body to face him. "I know that Alfred is Kiku's best friend, but, you know, Kiku is my best friend. We were on the council together, enjoyed each other's company. Why not date? All that was missing from our relationship was the actual romance."

Yao nodded absently.

"Do you want to dance?" Arthur asked. Yao started.

"No, aru."

"Wh-why not?"

"We'll get injured." Again, Yao gestured to the floor. Arthur followed his pointing finger to where Alfred was attempting to swing dance. Kiku was lucky that kendo club had given him such quick reflexes.

Arthur burst into laughter, his body sliding down the wall until his shoulder rested against Yao's. It was hard to hear over the music, but Arthur could feel him shaking with laughter, too. He looked over, and the DJ's light swept over them again. The pink glitter was almost blinding, but through it, he could still see Yao's impish smile and the way his light eyes glimmered.

Without thinking, he tilted his head, leaned closer, and kissed him hard. Yao jerked away.

"What are you doing, aru? We already talked about this!" Even in the darkened gym, Arthur could see his blush. "I told you, I won't be used, aru!"

"I don't want to use you," Arthur said, hoping that the heat he could feel rising to his cheeks wasn't as visible as it felt. "I-I just wanted to kiss you then, because you-"

"Because I?" Yao's eyes were inescapable, and Arthur faltered.

"I just did," he said, and he knew how lame it sounded as soon as it was out of his mouth. Yao's eyes narrowed.

"Because Kiku is right over there and might see you?" he spat. "Because Kiku is moving on and you're jealous?"

"No," Arthur said, balling his hands into fists. "Because I _wanted_ to! Because I _like_ you, and sometimes I want to kiss you just because, and Kiku never made me feel like that!"

Yao stared at Arthur. For his part, Arthur was glad that the music was so loud; no one around them had so much as turned their way.

"You..." Arthur could barely hear Yao's voice, but he could read the hesitant curve of his mouth. "If you want to...and you never..." He looked away and began fidgeting with his ponytail. "S-Stupid. Saying things like that all of a sudden, aru. Don't think you've won me over just yet!"

Why was he always so difficult? Putting a finger under Yao's chin, Arthur tipped his face upwards and kissed him again. He felt Yao drop his ponytail and curl a hand around the back of his neck.

The last couple of months, Arthur had noticed something familiar in Yao, something that actually reminded him quite a bit of Kiku when they'd first met. A kind of kindred spirit. What was different from Kiku was that Arthur sometimes found himself thinking ridiculous things, like _He's beautiful_ or _What if Yao is there?_Thinking that they might cross paths made him happy - and a little nervous.

This was that spark he'd been missing before. Arthur wondered if this was what Alfred felt like looking at Kiku. Just wanting to kiss him and be near him all the time. It was awful. Maybe Alfred had more self-control than Arthur gave him credit for. He felt a twinge of respect for him in that moment.

When he pulled back, Yao buried his head in the crook of Arthur's neck and mumbled something. Arthur couldn't help his grin; was he embarrassed? How could someone so frustrating be so cute?

Arthur looked up again. Around them, everyone seemed to have their backs turned, looking out on the dance floor. Alfred was in the center of the dance floor...dancing, apparently. Kiku was standing a bit off to the side.

Staring right back at Arthur.

* * *

><p>"I heard you and Arthur hooked up at the dance," Alfred said, and Yao's head snapped up to look at him. "Good for you, dude!"<p>

"Will you keep your voice down?" Yao flushed, looking around, but the hallways were empty. "What if someone hears you, aru?"

"What if they do?" Alfred leaned back against the wall across the hall from where Yao was sitting with his knees pulled into his chest. "Kiku told me about it. Didn't you tell him?"

"I didn't," Yao said, his expression faltering. "Maybe Arthur did?"

"Doubt it. Arthur and Kiku haven't been hanging out a lot since the dance, and that was a week ago." Alfred shrugged. "Guess he just saw you making out." Yao hid his face behind his knees, and Alfred laughed. "Whatever, dude! I think it's great." Yao looked up at him, and there was a level of understanding in his expression that Alfred wasn't sure he liked.

"How long do council meetings usually take, aru?" Yao asked.

"Don't you know?"

"Kiku would go out with Arthur afterward, so I wouldn't see much of him until after dinner."

"Yeah, well." Alfred scrunched up his nose. "Arthur always used to drag out meetings so he and Kiku could hang out without me. I'm not allowed to sit in there, you know?"

Yao frowned. "That's a little...presumptuous of you to say, isn't it, aru?"

"Nah. I was always the third wheel in their relationship. I think Arthur was glad to have the council so he could keep Kiku all to himself. Oh, but," - Alfred rubbed the back of his neck - "I guess I shouldn't say that to you."

"I don't care, aru." Yao rested his chin on his knees and gave Alfred a level look. "So, you knew you were a third wheel?"

"Oh, yeah. I hated sharing Kiku with a boyfriend. That's why I totally owe you, dude!" Alfred grinned. "I mean, if they're broken up and Arthur's got a new boyfriend..."

The council door opened, and Arthur was the first one out of the room. He turned and looked down at Yao as he stood up and dusted off his pants.

"Hey, thanks for waiting," Arthur said, glancing at Alfred before heading down the hallway, his arm just brushing Yao's as he walked beside him. After Francis and Feliks, Kiku came out last and shut the door. Alfred was beside him in a minute, already reaching out to take his books.

"You do not have to-"

"Dude, that was, like, the fastest meeting ever!" Alfred said with a grin, throwing an arm around Kiku and steering him down the hall towards the dorms. "What happened?"

"It was very efficient," Kiku said, nodding. "Arthur went through the points for this meeting much more quickly than before." Alfred didn't say anything, thinking of the understanding expression on Yao's face minutes before. It was best not to bring that up to Kiku. "We have actually decided to start doing the morning announcements over the school television sets instead of the P.A. system."

"Really?" Alfred asked. "That's awesome! When are you starting that?"

"Monday morning. I will set it up this weekend." Kiku had always been handy with electronics. Alfred pumped his fist in the air.

"Okay, Kiku, just say the word, and I'll be there to help you!"

"I appreciate it. I could use some help."

Alfred almost tripped on the stairs down to the front door. Kiku always protested when he offered to help. When he looked down, though, Kiku was smiling up at him. Alfred willed himself not to squeeze his shoulder too tightly.

"All right, dude, I'm there!"

"I have to return some books to the library," Kiku said, taking the books Alfred insisted on carrying. "I will see you tomorrow. We can meet here and go in to set up the television sets."

"You got it, man." Alfred flashed him a thumbs-up sign and watched as Kiku bowed, turned on his heel, and headed for the library. He waited until Kiku was long gone before whooping. Accepting his help, wanting to meet him alone on a Saturday...yep, this was shaping up to be a date. Maybe seeing Arthur and Yao together was just the push Kiku needed to fall into the arms of his perfect potential boyfriend.

This was turning out to be a great day.

* * *

><p>"Arthur, cut it out," Yao said, willing his blush to go away as he felt his boyfriend's kisses tracing his jawline. "I'm trying to concentrate."<p>

"Sorry, sorry," Arthur said, not sounding apologetic at all. He drew back and looked back down at his textbook and notebook in front of them. It was a little cramped, so Yao couldn't entirely blame Arthur, but still. He was awfully forward.

They'd gone back to Yao and Kiku's dorm room to do homework together. Yao was used to lying on his bed with homework and Arthur asking to use his desk and sitting with Kiku. When he flopped onto his bed and started pulling out materials to work on his essay, he was shocked to feel the mattress dipping under Arthur's weight as well.

"What are you doing, aru?" he'd asked.

"Homework." Arthur's green eyes had been so mischievous. "What else?"

Unable to think of a comeback, Yao turned to his own work and mumbled something about not distracting him. It was impossible now, though; here the two of them were, lying on their stomachs on a twin-size mattress, textbooks open on Yao's pillow, mere centimeters separating them. Arthur seemed intent on making those centimeters disappear, too. He was back again, leaning over and kissing Yao's ear.

"Arthur!"

"It's just a kiss."

Yao could feel Arthur's lips curving into a smile against the shell of his ear and had half a mind to elbow him right off the bed, but Arthur's kisses quickly trailed down his cheek and to the corner of his mouth. Automatically, Yao tilted his head and met Arthur's lips with his own.

It was surreal being able to call Arthur his boyfriend. They hadn't been on any real dates, exactly - at least, not beyond shopping or studying together. Arthur kept bringing up the library, not being subtle at all. He was more than ready to go public with the relationship.

Kiku knew. He'd seen them. That thought made Yao pause, and Arthur pulled back from the kiss.

"What's wrong?"

"Just thinking we should talk to Kiku, aru." Yao turned back to his math book. "Alfred told me that he saw us at the dance. I didn't realize anyone was watching."

"Yeah, I know."

Yao shot Arthur a look at his calm response. "You know that Kiku knows?"

"Yeah, I caught him looking at us at the dance. I wanted to talk to him about it, but I haven't really seen him." Arthur propped his chin up on his hand. "You haven't talked to him?"

"I wanted to make sure you were serious first, aru." Yao toyed with his ponytail, hoping that his expression was aloof. When he looked over at Arthur, though, his smirk suggested otherwise.

"You want to see serious, huh?" He leaned over again, kissing Yao harder this time; it was impossible to resist. Yao felt Arthur's hand brushing against his cheek before sliding up and tangling itself in his hair. What a nuisance. Just when he'd gotten his ponytail the way he liked it. He lost that train of thought when Arthur tilted his head just a bit and deepened the kiss.

Arthur's other hand rested on Yao's waist, and as he shifted onto his side, Yao felt Arthur scooting closer to him. The hand slid to Yao's lower back and pulled him in. Dropping his pen and pushing his notebook further up the bed, Yao put his hands around Arthur's neck. The kiss broke shortly to allow for catching breaths, but soon their lips were pressed against one another again.

_Thunk._Yao was half-aware of the sound of his math textbook slipping off the side of the bed as he shifted again, wrapping his arms around Arthur and pulling himself as close as possible. One of Arthur's hands tugged on Yao's elastic until his hair was free of its ponytail. The other wrapped around his waist.

Arthur tilted his body towards Yao, and Yao felt himself shifting onto his back. The rest of the books that had been at the head of his bed fell to the floor, and Yao felt his head take their place on his pillow. When the kiss broke again, Yao looked up at Arthur hovering over him and blushing.

Yao knew that expression too well. Arthur was about to open his mouth and say something stupid about how he was only doing this because something-or-other. Why did he have to say such annoying things? Before he could, Yao pulled him back down and kissed him. That would keep him quiet.

* * *

><p>Having dropped his books off at the library, Kiku headed back to the dorms. When he'd first seen Arthur and Yao kissing at the dance, he'd been surprised to find that all he could feel was relief. He'd been expecting surprise or anger, maybe resentment, but it was nothing. They were kissing, and they both seemed happy about it. It was like a weight had been lifted from Kiku's shoulders. Arthur was happy, and he could move on with his life.<p>

Maybe it was because Alfred had told him ahead of time. With some forewarning, it wasn't as if Kiku were blindsided by the sight of Arthur with someone new. Quite the contrary, it finally took all the questions and games out of Kiku's day. He didn't have to worry about rumors because he knew the truth. Finally, he had concrete proof.

He was glad for it, and he appreciated Alfred. After all the high school drama he'd put his poor friend through, Alfred was his usual upbeat self. It would be good to get back into a routine of hanging out with his best friend. He would have to find some way to repay Alfred's kindness.

Kiku reached into his bag for his keys as he went up the stairs leading to the third floor where he and Yao shared a room. Turning onto the second floor, he nearly crashed into Emil, a first year he knew through a friend on his floor.

"Ah, you must be going to visit Kaoru," Kiku said with a smile. Emil's whole faced reddened, but he nodded. He was a quiet boy; Kaoru told Kiku once that he was a bit embarrassed about his accent. Kiku stepped to the side so that he and Emil could go up to the third floor together. "Are you doing homework in Kaoru's room?"

Emil clasped his hands. "Library," he said, his Icelandic accent distinct even in just one word. Kiku nodded.

"That is a good idea," Kiku said, and Emil shot him a curious look. "The library is an excellent place for studying."

On the third floor, Kaoru and Yong Soo's room was the first off of the stairs, and Kaoru was leaning against his own door waiting. Kiku wondered why he hadn't just gone downstairs to meet Emil instead of making him come all the way up to the third floor just to go back down. He would have said something when he noticed Kaoru's empty hands.

"Are you going to the library?" he asked. "Where are your books?"

Kaoru and Emil exchanged looks before Kaoru turned his nonplussed expression back to Kiku.

"We're, like, going to the library for special stuff," he said. Emil's face reddened again. "I've been wanting to show Emil something sweet, like, at the back of the library, and he totally wants to check it out. It's something he's, like, way into, so I was like, 'Let's do some research and experiment.' Right?" Emil buried his face in his hands.

"Just make sure that you return your books on time," Kiku said, patting Kaoru on the head before turning to go back to his own room.

Yao was probably home by now. Arthur would have taken the early bus. Kiku put his key in the lock and turned the knob. That was good; he'd be able to talk to Yao. It was about time for this conversation.

Kiku swung open the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Yao was barely aware of the click of a key in the lock. It was hard to concentrate on anything beyond Arthur's fingers hooking under the bottom of his sweater. When the door swung open, though, he sat straight up, shoving Arthur back. Flustered, they both looked to the door, where Kiku had just walked in.

He stared at them, wide-eyed, for a few seconds that felt much longer. Yao wondered what they must look like, Arthur's hair even more of a mess than usual and his own face undoubtedly flushed. Arthur began to stammer, sounding like he was trying to get out a "this isn't what it looks like," but Kiku cut him off.

"I am t-terribly sorry, I-" He bowed deeply, and when he straightened, his face was redder than Yao's felt. Looking back and forth between them, though, Kiku's expression changed. "Y-You have only been together for a week, have you not?"

Startled, Yao exchanged glances with Arthur before nodding at Kiku. Swallowing, Kiku's expression hardened.

"And you are already intimate?"

Arthur sputtered and held up his hands. Yao could only reel back in shock. One of them should have said something, Yao would later think; with no response, Kiku's expression, for the first time Yao had ever seen, became angry.

"In a room that I share with you? On an afternoon when I would be here?" Kiku's hands balled into fists. "I-I do not think I am the one who should be apologizing, and so I will not!" He turned on his heel and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Ah, to be back in his dorm room! Alfred had changed into comfy clothes after getting out of his itchy uniform and was just scooping himself a bowl of congratulatory choco-swirl ice cream when someone knocked on the door. It was a fast rapping, very urgent, and Alfred frowned, dropping the ice cream scoop back into the carton.<p>

When he opened the door, Kiku was standing on the other side. His face was red, and he was shaking.

"Kiku?" Alfred stared. "What's wro-?"

Kiku crossed the threshold into his room in two steps and buried his head in Alfred's chest.

Alfred nearly fell over in shock, but he wrapped his arms around Kiku and pulled him close. He'd never hugged Kiku before, as much as he'd always wanted to. Kiku hated being touched.

"I apologize," Kiku said, his voice tiny, "for inviting myself in." Alfred could feel Kiku's small hands against his tee-shirt.

"Any time," Alfred said, shutting the door.

* * *

><p>Yao buried his face in his hands. Arthur stared at the door a moment longer before turning back to his boyfriend. "Yao?" Yao didn't move.<p>

Arthur felt foolish; he should have thought of the possibility - or the probability, maybe - that Kiku would come back. After how many times doing their homework together, how had he forgotten that this was Kiku's room, too? All he'd been able to think about was Yao, which would have been fine under any other circumstances. Now, though...it was just bad timing.

"Yao," he said again. This time, Yao shook his head and slowly let his hands drop from his face. At his expression, Arthur was instantly by his side with an arm around him. Yao pushed him off.

"I can't believe I did that, aru." He stared off into the distance. Arthur lifted his hand to put on his shoulder, but Yao shook his head again. "I'm a terrible person."

"Whoa, wait, how did you get to that conclusion?" Arthur asked, startled.

"Kiku is my friend, he's like my little brother, aru. I can't believe I did this to him." Yao shifted and hung his legs over the side of the bed. With his elbows on his knees, he rested his forehead on his palms. "No wonder he thought we were...I mean, we were lying together in bed, and-"

"He walked in at the wrong time, that's all." Arthur frowned. "I feel as awkward as you do, but if we just explain it to him-"

"You were lying on top of me, Arthur! On my bed! Alone in Kiku's room, aru!" Yao stood up and started to pace in a circle around the tiny dorm room.

"It's your room, too," Arthur said quietly.

"What was I thinking, letting you lie next to me? Homework. Ha!" With jerky movements, Yao yanked his hair up and tied it with a spare elastic on his wrist. "I never should have brought you here, aru."

"It was just a mistake. We'll talk to Kiku, and he'll understa-"

"I never should have even started dating you, aru!"

Arthur froze at that. Yao stopped pacing with his back to him. "What are you saying?"

"You heard me," Yao said. "Kiku knew this whole time and never talked to me, then he walks in on _this_...he's going to hate me. What have I done to my brother?"

"Yao, don't talk like that." Arthur scrambled to his feet and wrapped his arms around Yao's shoulders. "We're together, aren't we? We care about each other."

"Kiku is more important."

Arthur had often read the characters of his books feeling as if they'd been "slapped in the face" by a biting comment. He'd always wondered where that phrasing had come from. Words were powerful, but why a slap in the face? He had a better idea now why that simile had been used so many times in literature. He couldn't say a word.

Yao shrugged his arms off of his shoulders. "You should go, aru."

"I want to stay with you."

"Not right now."

"I don't want to break up!"

"We'll talk about it later, aru." Yao finally turned to face him. Arthur flinched at his serious expression. "Right now, I just can't."

* * *

><p>Even though Kiku hadn't shed a single tear, Alfred still figured this counted as being his shoulder to cry on. He'd brought Kiku into his room, sat him down on his bed, and offered him his whole hero-sized sundae. When Kiku started eating it miserably, Alfred knew this was Arthur's fault. He sat next to Kiku and put an arm around him, and Kiku leaned against him.<p>

"I should not have yelled," he said finally. Alfred raised his eyebrows.

"Yelled? What happened, Kiku?"

"I returned to my room after going to the library, and Arthur and Yao were there. I interrupted them."

Alfred frowned. Kiku chose such delicate, nondescript words sometimes. "Interrupted?"

"They were on Yao's bed."

Twenty minutes earlier, Alfred would've been sending Yao a mental high five, but with Kiku crumpled up beside him, he couldn't muster a single nice thought.

"Clothed, thankfully, but still." Kiku set aside the half-eaten bowl of ice cream, and Alfred noticed a drop of chocolate on the corner of his mouth. He reached down to rub it off with his thumb when Kiku added quietly, "Arthur never even tried to kiss me."

Alfred's thumb paused against the corner of Kiku's mouth. "Yeah, well, Arthur sucks like that sometimes." He popped his thumb into his own mouth to lick off the chocolate, and Kiku looked up at him helplessly. "Come on, Kiku, only a total loser wouldn't want to kiss you!"

Kiku's expression didn't change. For a second, Alfred panicked, wondering what Kiku wanted him to say. So he didn't say anything; he kissed him instead.

It only lasted a second, and when Alfred pulled away, Kiku's hand flew to his mouth. "Th-that was my first...!"

"Good," Alfred said. He leaned his forehead against Kiku's. "It should've been."

Kiku studied him, as only Kiku would. His brown eyes seemed huge when he was so close. The corners of his mouth twitched, and slowly curved into one of his tiny smiles. Alfred matched it with his grin.

A sudden banging on the door interrupted what would have been a Hollywood-perfect moment, and Alfred couldn't stop a frustrated hiss from escaping his lips. Who was at the door ruining this for him?

He got to his feet and hurried to the door, ready to move along whomever was on the other side. When the door swung open, it was Arthur.

"What are you doing here?" Alfred asked, moving into the door frame. He was taller than Arthur and could block his view. Unfortunately, Arthur had already caught sight of Kiku and pushed passed Alfred into the room.

"I knew I'd find you here," he said, stepping over video game controllers and DVD cases to get to Alfred's bed. "Kiku, we've got to talk."

"About what?" Alfred snapped, and Arthur shot him a look.

"I'm not talking to you," he said. Turning back, he continued, "Kiku, look, I'm sorry you walked in on us kissing like that, okay? I promise you, though, it wasn't going farther. Yao and I haven't slept together, and we're not going to when we've only been together for a week."

Kiku's face burned, and Alfred couldn't help thinking that he must have found Arthur's speech explicit.

"So you're going back over there and apologizing to Yao right now," Arthur said. Kiku leaned back in surprise, and Alfred jumped in.

"What? Why should he?" he asked.

"Do you know what Yao is doing right now?" Arthur asked, looking straight at Kiku. "He's over there in your room by himself, beating himself up over the fact that you're upset. All he would talk about was feeling like he'd betrayed you and saying it would've been better if he and I had never been together at all."

Kiku's lips parted in surprise. Alfred balled his hands into fists.

"So, what, you want Kiku to go fix it so you can have your new boyfriend back? What the hell, man?"

"Will you be quiet?" Arthur rounded on him with wild eyes. "This isn't about me, all right? You didn't see Yao's face when Kiku walked out. You have no idea what it feels like seeing someone you care about look like that and know that you can't do a damn thing to fix it!"

"Yes, I do!" Alfred yelled back, and he saw Kiku pull back out of the corner of his eye. He always tried to keep himself in check, never wanted to be angry, especially in front of Kiku. Right now, though, it couldn't be helped. "In fact, I have you to thank for it!"

Arthur's eyes widened, and Kiku got to his feet, his hands already lifting defensively, his silent plea for peace.

"You most certainly don't have me to thank for it," Arthur said. "I've apologized to Kiku for what he saw. I wasn't thinking, and it wasn't right. That doesn't mean that his reaction was called for! He wouldn't let us explain and yelled at Yao before storming off. If he'd just been calm and listened, we wouldn't be having a problem right now. He did it to himself!"

Kiku's expression had changed from sympathetic to guilty over the course of Arthur's rant. At the last bit, though, the hurt on his face was so overwhelming that Alfred saw red. Without thinking, he swung his arm, and his fist connected solidly with Arthur's face.

The blow sent Arthur flying back onto the floor, and Kiku gasped. As Arthur groaned and pushed himself up on his elbows, Kiku pushed past Alfred and knelt down beside him, gingerly reaching out to him. Arthur touched his temple but jerked away from Kiku's hand and stood abruptly. With one last glare at Alfred, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Alfred watched Kiku as he knelt on the floor and stared at the door Arthur had just gone through. His hands were still suspended in mid-air, reaching for someone no longer there. Finally, Kiku lowered his hands and turned to look up at Alfred.

"Why did you do that?" he asked. Alfred's fists uncurled, his fingers suddenly weak.

"He had no right to say those things to you."

"He did. Arthur made a very good point. I did not allow them to explain before I-"

"Kiku, you didn't do anything wrong, and Arthur's being a jackass about it!" Alfred couldn't help the outburst and felt a pang at Kiku's flinch. "I didn't mean to hit him, I just couldn't help it. I did it for you!"

"No, you did not." Kiku rose to his feet. "You hit Arthur for yourself, not for me."

"I was defending you!" Alfred argued. Kiku looked at him levelly, and he faltered. "Kiku..."

"You have to apologize to Arthur."

"What? No way! He's apologizing to you first!"

"Alfred." Kiku's expression was solemn. "There are a lot of apologies that need to happen right now, starting with the one I owe Yao. I was upset, but I never meant to make him feel the way Arthur says he does. Yao _has_ been a good friend to me."

He brushed past Alfred and headed for the door, pausing only to turn and bow.

"Thank you for your hospitality," he said, and with that, he left.

Alfred jammed his hands into his pockets. Everything had been going so well, and then Arthur had to come and screw it up. Then he had to screw it up himself. He sucked. He sucked so much.

He collapsed onto his bed and gave his pillow a good, hard punch. The action sent the half-eaten bowl of ice cream tipping onto the floor with a _clunk_, and Alfred cursed at the melted chocolate already drizzling into the carpet.

"It's okay, Alfred. Things will be all right."

Alfred looked up with a start to see his brother Matthew curled up on his bed on the other side of the room. "Mattie! When did you get here?"

"I-I was here when you came in an hour ago..."

* * *

><p>Yao sighed heavily at the "Out of Order" sign on the bathroom door. Looks like he was heading down to the second floor. Hopefully he wouldn't bump into anybody with his face all red and puffy like this.<p>

He hurried down the stairs and into the second floor bathroom. After he'd checked the stalls - all empty - he went to the sink and ran cold water to splash onto his face. In a few minutes' time, he looked about back to normal, and he grabbed some paper towels to dab at his face with. No one would be the wiser.

The door swung open, and Yao looked up to see Arthur walking in with a hand over his eye. Arthur froze when he saw him. "Yao!"

"Arthur? I thought you went home." Yao took a step closer. "What happened to your eye, aru?" Arthur flinched but lowered his hand. A bruise was already starting to form around his eye, and Yao's hand flew to his mouth. "Arthur!"

"I...went to talk to Kiku. He was over at Alfred's, of course." Yao grabbed a wad of paper towels and ran it under cold water. After ringing it out, Yao delicately placed it against Arthur's eye; he still winced. "Alfred decked me. I suppose I deserved it."

"He _hit_ you? Why?"

"I got angry." Arthur reached up to hold the paper towel himself, but Yao didn't let go. "Look, Yao, we can't break up. You mean too much to me. Even if it _is _Kiku, I won't let anybody talk to you like that ever. Okay?"

"You're so stupid, aru," Yao mumbled, and Arthur tilted his head down to give him a kiss. Yao was carefully not to push the wet cloth down too hard on his eye. "I don't want to break up either, aru."

Arthur ended up taking the late bus home. Yao walked with him to the stop to see him off, kissed him goodbye, and noticed the other passengers looking at Arthur's bruised eye with knowing expressions. Of course, they'd have no idea what actually happened, but they could guess based on the movies they'd seen. Yao shook his head and returned to the dorm.

When he opened the door to his room, Kiku was sitting at his desk waiting for him.


	5. Epilogue

It was just ten o'clock in the morning when Kiku saw Alfred heading over from the dorms. He smiled as he sat on the main building's steps. "You came."

"I said I would." Alfred's tone was light, but his expression was still wary. "You need help with those TVs, right?"

"I thought you might not," Kiku said. "I talked to Yao last night, and everything is okay between us. I really am happy for them, I just..." He sighed. "I think perhaps the stress of the break-up process finally just got to me. Going back to being just friends with Arthur should have been so easy, but I guess that is not always the case in high school."

"Yeah, well, that was probably my fault," Alfred said with a crooked smile. "Remember? That English class back then when you'd first broken up? I sat next to you, and Arthur sat next to Yao for the first time. That's what started all this."

"I think that it turned out for the best, though. A lot of good has come from that one action, too." Kiku folded his hands in his lap. "I talked to Arthur last night, too. He called to apologize for what he said."

"Did he?"

"He said you'd called him to apologize first," Kiku continued, giving him a curious smile. "So you_ did_ apologize."

Alfred sprawled out on the steps next to Kiku. "I did it for you, you know."

"You did it for both of us," Kiku said. Alfred chuckled, and they sat together in silence for a moment.

"So what now?" Alfred finally asked. "We go back to the way we were?"

"Yes," Kiku said. Alfred nodded, looking away. "The question is, do we go back to the way we were this time yesterday or the way we were a minute before Arthur knocked on your door?" Alfred's head snapped in his direction at that, his expression dumbstruck. Kiku smiled. "What do you think?"

"The second one," Alfred said, sitting up straight and throwing an arm around Kiku's shoulders. "Definitely the second one."

Kiku rested his head on Alfred's shoulder. "I agree."

With that, Alfred started kissing him - his cheeks, his forehead, his hair, his lips - until Kiku had to physically push him away to stop him. Embarrassed though he was, Kiku smiled. It was nice being with someone who wanted to kiss him so much. Forward as it might be.

The bus pulled up at the sidewalk, and Kiku saw Arthur getting off and heading for the dorm. When he saw Alfred and Kiku, he stopped and made his way towards them.

"Where's the fire, dude?" Alfred laughed, pulling Kiku closer to him. Arthur's eyes moved from Alfred to Kiku before he smiled knowingly.

"Yao called me this morning all upset," Arthur said. "You know that first year he's taken such a shine to? Kaoru?" Alfred and Kiku nodded. "Apparently, Elisabeta caught him with Emil in the back of the library, and it's a whole scandal. Yao is beside himself."

"Dude, everybody knew they were hittin' those books," Alfred said with a snort, waggling his eyebrows. Arthur shook his head.

"You're vile, you know that?"

"What are you two talking about?" Kiku asked. "Why is it such a big deal to be studying together? How is that scandalous?" Arthur and Alfred exchanged looks.

"Is Yao like this?" Alfred asked.

"He was. I explained it to him," Arthur said. Alfred whistled.

"Artie, you dog!"

"Not like _that_! And don't call me 'Artie.'"

"What are you not telling me?" Kiku asked, turning to Alfred.

"I-I'll explain it later."

"You could always just take him there and show him," Arthur drawled, looking pointedly at Alfred's arm draped across Kiku's shoulders.

"Now who's the vile one, Artie?" Alfred laughed. "You better jet, man. Yao'll be foaming at the mouth by now."

Arthur's expression contorted, and he left with a hurried goodbye. Once he'd gone to the dorms, Kiku stood.

"We should go look at those television sets," he said. Alfred nodded and stood, and the two headed into the main building. "On the way, you may explain the scandal of going to the library."

Alfred grinned. "Or," he said, "we could take a detour on our way to the TVs and swing by the library so I can show you. Artie might not have had such a bad idea going."

"You can just explain it."

"All right, all right..."


End file.
